A/N: I am so so so sorry for the massive delay on this chapter! I had a bit of a family emergency last week, and things have been a little hectic! Also, I'm leaving for Oregon today, and I don't know when I'm going to have internet again, so I apologize in advance if there is a delay on the next chapter as well. Thank you to all who have reviewed and/or added my story! I appreciate the love!
P.S. I do not own anything pertaining to Marvel. I only own my brain and the ideas it produces. ( I probably should have mentioned this in the past chapters :p)
If looks could kill, Kate would have been slain many times over by Loki's icy glare. Since they had first gotten on the jet, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. He didn't say a word, he hardly blinked, and it was really starting to creep Kate out. She tried to avert her gaze and ignore him, but she could feel his gaze boring into her. She could hear Loki's voice repeating over and over in her mind I swear I will make you pay for your betrayal. Usually she wouldn't let a threat like that phase her, but something told her that a threat from a Norse god, especially the seriously deranged God of Mischief, shouldn't be taken lightly. Her brain was conjuring up ways in which Loki would make her "pay," when Tony Stark thankfully interrupted her morbid imaginings.
"So, Coulson tells me your one of SHIELD'S top agents."
"I'm sure Agent Coulson was exaggerating." Kate responded. "I'm no better or worse than any of my fellow agents."
"Come now, don't be so modest!" Tony smacked her on the back playfully. "Not just anyone could infiltrate a crack-job like Loki's lair and still live to tell the tale."
"Mr. Stark is right, Miss Poole." Captain Rogers interjected. "What you did was extremely brave."
"Thanks for the support, Gramps." Stark muttered before turning his attention back to Kate. "Nice dress by the way." He motioned to the ridiculously extravagant gown that she was still dressed in and smiled seductively as he moved closer to her. "Although I would prefer if it were red instead of green, then we would be matching." Stark wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner as Kate stared back at the multi-billionaire with a confused look on her face.
"Leave her be, Stark." Natasha Romanoff chastised from the cockpit. "I think she's been through enough trouble for one day." Kate smiled and nodded in appreciation at Agent Romanoff, who winked back at her conspiratorially.
"You can't say I didn't try." Stark said as he crossed his arms and turned his focus on Loki again. "Not very talkative, is he." Loki glared back at Stark before once again returning his cold gaze to Kate. Tony opened his mouth to make another snide comment, but was cut off when a burst of bright white light filled the jet, followed by the loud boom of thunder. Loki leaned forward in his seat and looked up towards the sky as Agent Romanoff turned to look at him curiously.
"What's the matter?" she asked. "Afraid of a little lightning?" Loki's gaze moved from the window and passed briefly over Kate before falling on the Black Widow in the cockpit.
"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Before either Kate or Agent Romanoff could respond to that strange comment, there was a loud thud on the roof of the jet. Tony cursed under his breath as he put his helmet back on, and Captain Rogers pulled his shield onto his arm and went into a battle stance. The door of the jet opened, and a large man with a red cape jumped from the roof to the ramp. Tony advanced on him, but before he could even throw a punch, the stranger in the cape lifted what looked to be a hammer in his hands, and smashed it against Starks chest, sending him flying too the front of the jet and onto his ass. Everyone on the jet watched in frozen fascination as the stranger approached Loki, ripped him from his seat and led him to the open jet door. He then started swinging the massive hammer he held in circles and somehow took flight. Everyone on the jet stared after them in amazement before Agent Romanoff broke the silence.
"Another Asgardian?" No one responded, but Tony made his way to the door of the jet, the blue lights on his hands getting brighter in preparation for flight.
"Stark!" Captain Rogers shouted after him. "We need a plan of attack!"
"I have a plan." Tony replied as her looked over his shoulder. "Attack." He then flew out the back out the plane in pursuit of Loki and the mystery cape wearer. Captain Rogers looked around helplessly until he spotted a parachute in the rack above Kate's head. He made his way over towards her, and she quickly moved out of his determined path. As he was pulling on the chute, Agent Romanoff tried to convince him to rethink what he was about to do.
"I would sit this one out Cap." She said, turning in her seat to face the Captain. "These guys are straight from legend, they're basically gods."
"There's only one God, ma'am." he stated as he made his way to the open door. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He then jumped out of the plane without another word. There was a brief moment of silence before Kate took a deep breath and said.
"Well, that was...the weirdest thing thats ever happened to me." She looked over at her long time friend Natasha Romanoff, and they both burst out laughing. "Well Nat, we might as well land and go straighten out this shit storm before Fury finds out and draws and quarters us."
"Sounds like a plan." Natasha said as she started to turn back to the control panels, but stopped and looked at Kate again, concern in her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright Kate? You seemed a little shaken up back in Stuttgart, I've never seen you like that before."
"Of course I'm okay. Don't worry about me." Kate smiled and responded with as much conviction as she could manage, still trying to repress the memory of how helpless she felt back in Germany. "Now what are we going to do about those stupid, impulsive superhero's who just jumped out of the jet?"
"It looks like we're gonna have to clean up after them...yet again." Natasha rolled her eyes and in a rare show of humor responded, "Men. You can't live with them, and you can't shoot them."
"Well, you could." Kate said with mock seriousness. "But all the men we want to shoot just happen to be bullet proof." Both agents laughed as the jet prepared to land.
Before leaving the jet, both Kate and Natasha armed themselves to the teeth in preparation for a fight. They were just walking down the ramp of the jet, when Kate again took notice of her attire and stopped with a curse.
"Shit. I'm still wearing this flipping dress!" She said as she ruffled the skirts in irritation.
"Here." Natasha said, handing Kate one of her knives. Kate took if thankfully and then proceeded to cut about a foot and a half off the bottom the dress, freeing her legs. She sighed in relief as she strapped a gun to one thigh and a knife to the other.
"Much better." Kate sighed as she handed the knife back to Natasha. "Why don't we split up. You take the forest and I'll take those rocks up there." She motioned towards the craggy cliffs that rose toward the night sky. Natasha nodded in agreement before they went their separate ways. Kate made her way up a rough trail that led up the cliffs, pulling her gun from it's holster as she went. She walked for about ten minutes without a sign of anyone, until she saw a dark shape in the distance, sitting on the edge of one of the many cliffs. She approached the shape soundlessly, her gun at the ready, and when she got close enough she realized it was Loki. She stopped in her tracks, her nerves momentarily getting the better of her. Loki still hadn't noticed her yet, so she steeled her nerves and continued to approach. When she was about ten feet away, Loki finally acknowledged her presence, evidenced by the sound of a deep chuckle.
"Have you come to retrieve me, Agent Poole." He turned his head slightly to glance in her direction.
"Yes." She replied. "And if you come without a fuss, I promise I won't shoot you." She took a few steps closer as she reached up to activate the communication device in her ear, her eyes never leaving Loki. "Nat, I've got Loki. Do you copy?" A few seconds passed before there was a response."
"Copy. I'm on my way." Natasha replied succinctly.
"Get up Loki, we're leaving." Kate reached down to grab Loki's arm, but her hand met air. "What the-" She took an involuntary step back and met with a hard surface. She stiffened, filling with dread as she slowly turned around. Loki was standing there, staring down at her with a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Hello, Kate." He said, before grabbing her around the neck and slamming her against the rock wall behind them. "Now," he leaned toward her, placing his cool lips against her ear, "I will make you pay."